Strawberry & Pineapple Smoothie Bowl

They say you have to chew your smoothie to start the digestion process. I am trying to remember to do that, but feel it is going to take time. It’s kinda awkward to chew a drink. I do understand that saliva is important to digestion, so I’m working on making this a habit.

A smoothie bowl, though… You can add good-for-you foods to the top and have plenty of reason to chew your food. Given some not-so-good gut issues I have been trying to fix since I took the medication for COVID a few years back, I find it especially important now to learn more about digestion, fiber, and other things related to gut health.

For this recipe, I used up a banana, some of the frozen avocado, a few celery tops (including the leaves) and the rest of the cucumber slices that had been in the jar for the past week. A huge thank you to Amy Cross of The Cross Legacy for the food storage tip! I am amazed that those cucumber slices were perfect when I finally got around to using them.

Strawberry & Pineapple Smoothie Bowl

Servings: 1 or 2, depending on if you want to share or save some for tomorrow

For this I use a personal blender. Not a regular size one.

Ingredients

For the smoothie:

3 slices cucumber

3 celery tops with leaves

handful of chopped kale

1/2 cup of water

1 heaping tbsp coconut milk powder

1 tbsp protein powder

1 tbsp hemp hearts

1/2 small banana

5 or 6 chunks of avocado

3 strawberries

4 chunks pineapple

1/4 to 1/2 cup of water

The Toppings:

1/2 small banana, sliced

4 slices cucumber, chopped

1 tbsp chia seeds

2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes

1. Add the first 1/2 cup of water to the blender, and then the 3 slices of cucumber, the celery tops, and the kale. Blend until liquified.
2. Add the coconut and protein powders and the hemp hearts, then blend to liquify again.
3. Add the the first half of the banana, and the avocado, strawberries, and pineapple. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water as well. Blend well, so there are no chunks.
4. Pour this into a bowl or two.
5. Top with the sliced banana, chopped cucumber, the chia seeds and the coconut flakes.
6. Enjoy!

Notes:

• Smoothies and smoothie bowls are a great way to use up bits of produce. Using these things up can help you save money on groceries, and means you are wasting less.

~ Shannon